Family Reunion in D.C.

We just got back from a family reunion in Washington D.C. We had a fabulous time thanks to my Aunt and Uncle who hosted the reunion for the Clawson Clan. Rusty and I love D.C. and were excited about going back to visit. The first day we were there we headed off to the lake. We had a great time wake boarding, tubing, jet skiing, and kayaking.

Here is Grandma Clawson on her jet ski. Lookin' good grandma!

Rusty and I took a kayak out. Brenden was playing shark and tried to tip us over.

Kate loved sunbathing.

The next day we headed into downtown for a little sight seeing. First on our list was a tour of the capitol. We also saw the Library of Congress, Union Station, National Galleries of Art and the American History Museum. In the evening we ate a picnic on the capitol lawn as we watched the dress rehearsal for the National Symphony Orchestra's 4th of July concert, which airs on PBS every year. This year's stars included Barry Manilow, Artetha Franklin, Natasha Bedingfield, and the gang from Sesame Street. The camera guy even put Rusty and Kate on the big screen.

Here is Rachel, my mom and Julianne outside the Library of Congress.
This is how Kate got to see the sights.
Picnic on the front lawn of the Capitol.

We went back to the National Mall for the 4th of July. We wore matching t-shirts to make it easier to keep track of everyone. Some of the sights we saw were the Holocaust museum, Ford's theater, Pottbelly's Restaurant (Rusty's fave), the White House (just outside) and lots and lots of monuments. By the end we were tired of walking and ready to sit back and relax while watching the greatest fireworks show ever!! By the way, there was over 1 million people watching the fireworks with us on the lawn.

Me, my dad and Greg & Rachel standing at the Lincoln Monument looking back at the Washington Monument.

On Sunday we decided to visit Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello. It was raining outside but we came prepared.

Rusty and I outside Monticello
During the tour the 2 babies got bored and were asked to wait outside on the patio so as not to disrupt the rest of the tour. While waiting with Kate and Emmie, I thought it would be a great time to take their picture. Cute girls.

That night we had a family Pine Wood Derby race. Everyone brought their cars ready to go. My family had Brenden to thank for their wonderful car. He made it an hour before the race. Imagine if you will ... a block of wood with many holes drilled in it resembling cheese. On top, a plastic container holding just enough pennies to meet the weight requirement. Then add some wheels. I won't mention how we fared in the races except to note that we did not win the $50 grand prize. Thanks Brenden for the fabulous car. If you look closely you can see our car in the front on the left.

We couldn't visit Thomas Jefferson's home without next going to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. This is where we headed the next day. It is a fabulous place and one that could take you hours to experience. In additon to the house tour, there is a wonderful museum and education center as well as trails that take you around the many acres of working farm land.

Here we are waiting to go inside the house. Yes, we are wearing matching t-shirts. They say "I'm with Randy" on them.

We had such a fabulous time at the reunion. It was a wonderful chance to visit with family whom we hadn't seen in awhile. Lastly, here are some family photos that we took. Can you tell from the pictures that we had a great time. Well we did!!

Wicked

I will attempt to describe the evening using mainly song titles from the smash hit musical.

Because my husband is a Sentimental Man he bought me tickets to see the play for Christmas. I had been waiting for this One Short Day for 6 months. So you can imagine that I was feeling pretty Wonderful when the day finally came that we would join the Crandell Clan and go watch the broadway play, Wicked. We dressed up and met for dinner at the Popular restaurant, Sweet Tomatoes. Next we headed over to Gammage Auditorium. We were Defying Gravity as we made our way to our seats, which were not on the ground level, but still excellent...Thank Goodness. The play was awesome and The Wizard and I, ( I mean Rusty and I ) didn't want it to end. We left the theater Dancing Through Life loving every minute of our evening together.

Too cute not to post

Thanks J for taking the pictures.

Happy Father's Day

Reasons why Kate loves her dad:
1) He gives the best "buckin bronco rides." 2) He sings silly songs that make her laugh. 3) He lets her play a little longer before being put to bed. 4) He covers her body in kisses and hugs her so tight she might pop. 5) He is always excited to see her, even when she has woken up too early in the morning. So here's to your first Official Fathers Day!!! You are the best there is and we love you!!

Swimming Lessons

I have fond memories of taking swimming lessons as a kid. Every summer we would hop in our mini van and head to the local pool. My mom enrolled us each summer no matter how well we could swim already. Swim lessons were an excuse to get out of the house and cool off during the summer. I remember getting a snow cone after each lesson. They could even make my ice half strawberry half lime. After you had been through all of the classes you had only a couple options left. You could enroll in swim team, which met way too early in the morning and required a special speedo swim suit and cap. Or, you could take a diving class. The last swim class I remember taking was a diving class. We were learning how to do back dives. Back then I considered myself to be a flexible person. However, while standing on the diving board I leaned back as far as I could with my hands pointed to the water and dove in. My head hit the diving board and I didn't take another swim class again.


This year I was excited to put Kate in swimming lessons. I knew full well that she would not learn how to swim in 2 short weeks. But I was anxious for the chance to get out of the house and cool off in the water. Kate did great. She loved to splash and secretly loves the taste of pool water. I often caught her trying to lap up as much as she could with her little tongue. At the end of the 2 weeks Kate received a report card from her swim teacher. I'm sad to say that she did not graduate from the Sea Babies swim class. She did make great progress but as the report card states, Kate has not mastered all skills. Apparently she is supposed to be able to Exit the water using a ladder and Explore under water with her eyes open. Let me just say, that I can barely exit the pool using the ladder. The ladder steps are ridiculously small and quite trickly when your feet are wet (which they always are because you exiting the pool.) And I for one hate opening my eyes under water. Kate is just smarter than the average "sea baby" because she chooses to keep her eyes closed while under water. So I see swimming lessons as a huge success. She and I both enjoyed the lessons. And next time, she will well equipped with a pair of goggles ready to open her eyes underwater.